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About this blog: In January 2002 I started writing my own online "newspaper" titled "The San Ramon Observer." I reported on City Council meetings and other happenings in San Ramon. I tried to be objective in my coverage of meetings and events, and... (More)

About this blog: In January 2002 I started writing my own online "newspaper" titled "The San Ramon Observer." I reported on City Council meetings and other happenings in San Ramon. I tried to be objective in my coverage of meetings and events, and saved my barbs for my Commentary page. I had some political differences with the City Council at that time and particularly with the majority dubbed "The Gang of Three," by the San Ramon Valley Times. In 2003 new Council members were elected and the Council was more balanced and fiscally conservative, but I continued to write the Observer until 2009. At that point I decided I wanted to concentrate on my commentaries. So I requested a meeting with the editor and publisher of the Danville Weekly about taking over the San Ramon Observer. My timing was very apropos since the parent company, Embarcadero Media, was planning to release an online San Ramon Express that April. I was offered a "blog" under the name "San Ramon Observer" for my commentaries. I like to inform residents about what is happening in San Ramon, especially on city government and local politics. When I don't have anything to write about on those topics, I just write about anything I am doing or thinking about. (Hide)

Please help Lulu the dog

Uploaded: Aug 2, 2014

Today's blog is about Lulu the dog. I just donated $100 for an operation on a herniated disc that is causing Lulu intense pain. All of the money I saved by not sending it to shrill and demanding political fundraisers, I can now use to help animals and children. Here's a link for more information about Lulu and how to donate. http://www.youcaring.com/pet-expenses/lulu-needs-surgery/211863

Lulu has had a tough life. She was a street dog in Santiago, Chile for most of her eight years. She was malnourished, had mange (a parasitic skin condition), and a broken pelvis from being hit by a car.

She was rescued by animal sympathizers in Chile and treated for the accident but needed someone to adopt her. She found a home in San Ramon with Eliana Caimanque. Eliana has lived in San Ramon for 12 years. In fact she lives only a few blocks away from me. I've visited her house as a member of Safe Cat to bring cat food for her fosters and a cat for her to foster.

Eliana has been involved in animal rescue for the last 10 years, first with Tri Valley Animal Rescue, then with Safe Cat Foundation. In the last few years she has also been involved with animal rescue in Chile, where the situation of stray animals is overwhelming.

Eliana was born and raised in Chile. She came to the United States from Chile in 1974 with her husband. He came to pursue his PhD in Chemistry at U C Davis. In 1982 Eliana received a degree in Nuclear Medicine from UC San Francisco. She has worked at the San Ramon Regional Medical Center as a Nuclear Medicine Technologist for 14 years.

Lulu was doing well after she was adopted by Eliana. Then Lulu started having really bad pain when moving her neck. Lulu was treated at Bishop Ranch Veterinary Center for a month with muscle relaxants, anti-inflammatory injections and a lot of pain medication, including a fentanyl patch to deliver an opioid like morphine for a few days at a time, but this was dangerously addictive.

Eliana took Lulu for an MRI to locate the source of the pain. The MRI showed c4-c5 herniated disc. Lulu can have surgery to fix this at the Sage Veterinary Center in Dublin, but the cost is $6000. Eliana cannot afford this much. She is asking for donations to help Lulu get the surgery to be pain-free.

The surgery has a very good prognosis and according to the literature, Lulu should recover quickly. Lulu is very healthy otherwise. All of her organs are working perfectly i.e., heart lungs, brain. Kidneys, etc. As Eliana told me, "She has been through a lot. She is a survivor and more important she deserves a chance!!!!"

Posted by San Ramon Observer,
a resident of San Ramon,
on Aug 7, 2014 at 1:49 pmSan Ramon Observer is a registered user.

I received a check for Eliana from a person with a name. I did not write it down, but I delivered the check to Eliana's house last night. She said she would send a thank you note to the person whose name and address are on the check. I wanted to post my thank you here too.

My Editor thought it would be better for me to post the Pleasanton Weekly address instead of my home address; so I have changed it in comment above.

Posted by San Ramon Observer,
a resident of San Ramon,
on Aug 8, 2014 at 12:44 amSan Ramon Observer is a registered user.

I didn't know,

You are correct. I didn't notice it, but she included her address on the donation site. So anyone who prefers to mail a check directly to Eliana or to Sage Veterinary Center, their addresses are at the bottom of the Lulu Needs Surgery page.

Roz

PS Sadly one of Eliana's foster cats died Wednesday night. She's very upset by that loss too.

Posted by San Ramon Observer,
a resident of San Ramon,
on Aug 9, 2014 at 12:35 pmSan Ramon Observer is a registered user.

Eliana fosters cats for Safe Cat Foundation. When I fostered cats I had as many as 11 at one time. I wound up keeping the last four. Two that were too shy to be adopted and two that came back from adoption.

I don't know how many foster cats Eliana has now. Eliana does not neglect her fosters, and like many of us who foster animals, she is very attached to them.

The one that died was FIV positive and had leukemia. Eliana agreed to foster a dying cat to give it a good home and care for the time he had left. She just took in another dying cat to care for.

If you care about cats and kittens, go to one of the adoption events listed on the Safe Cat Foundation website. Web Link There are two today in Dublin and one in Livermore.

I received an email from Eliana last night. She needs to raise another $500 for a matching donation. I will donate another $100 to help. Here's her email:

"Roz,

Could you post this update somewhere? I am sending you to your facebook page too!

UPDATE UPDATE!! If we get $500 of new donations for LULU, then we have an anonymous donor who is willing to match that amount! Will you please consider making a donation, no matter how small? This is an incredibly generous offer this kind person has made, and we would love to raise the full $500 ASAP. Please donate for Lulu at www.YouCaring.com/LuluNeedsSurgery

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